


Turquoise and Sunflowers

by shherie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Era, Canon Related, Crushes, First Dates, Height Differences, High School, Implied Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Karasuno, M/M, Relationship(s), Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:43:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shherie/pseuds/shherie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{AoHina} A new school year, new juniors in the team, and a...new boyfriend?? Hinata was shocked to discover that Aone- the "Iron Wall" himself- wanted to date him; he was even more surprised to discover that he liked Aone back! A fic about opposites attracting and the start of a relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dedicate this fic to the small (but growing!) AoHina fandom! This will have maybe 10 chapters and might (or might not) include some NSFW down the line. I hope y’ll enjoy this first chapter, full of first-date awkwardness!!

It was 12:43 am and Hinata Shoyo (16 years old, Karasuno High second-year) was currently shrieking into his pillow loud enough to shake his whole bed. He didn’t know what to do. A boy _liked_ him! And not just any boy: Aone-san was so strong, so tall, so- so… _intimidating_ that Hinata had no idea how to handle this development.

Aone wanted to go out on a date with him. _With **me**?! What do I do?!_

This had never happened to him before. And today when Hinata had met Aone at the park and they’d talked- was _that_ a date? Did that count as their first date?! _Oh god, what if I had my first date today and I didn’t even know it was happening?!_ Had he _missed_ it?

He shrieked into his pillow again, kicking his legs against the mattress and drawing the immediate ire of his family- “Shoyo! Keep it down!” and “Nii-san I’m SLEEPING!”

“Ah, sorry!!” he quickly called out, rolling onto his side and hugging the pillow to his chest instead. This was no good. He felt like he wanted to _explode_ or jump up and down or run a marathon- or all three. He needed help. He needed-

-he grabbed his phone from the floor and flicked it open. Almost one am, but it might be okay…? He quickly typed a text to Kenma and hit send. _Are you awake???_

An agonizing thirty seconds passed while Hinata stared at his screen until a response finally came. _Yeah,_ the text said. _What’s up?_

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god! _I think I went on a date today but I don’t know if it was a real date and he says he wants to go on another one!! What do I do?!_ Hinata typed.

… _who’s “he”?_ Kenma asked.

 _Aone!_ _From Date-High. You know, the Iron Wall!!_ Hinata sent back. His cheeks warmed slightly at the memory of the giant blocker approaching him last week after the practice match and asking if they could meet up some time.

_He’s from another school…? And you went on a date?_

Hinata squeezed his phone tighter and typed furiously. _I don’t know if it was a date! I didn’t know it was a date before we met up. Does it even count??_

Hinata had agreed to meet up when Aone had asked him- mostly out of shock that Aone was even _talking_ to him- but he’d had no idea what Aone wanted from him. Was it about the practice match? About the new first years? About the upcoming Inter-High Tournament?! He’d had no clue why on _earth_ Aone would want to talk to him.

 _I don’t know if it counts. Do you want to go on a date with him?_ Kenma asked.

Well, _did_ he? He didn’t know! He knew in a vague, distant, I’ll-worry-about-that-in-the-future way that he liked _boys_ , not girls, but what did that matter? All Hinata ever did was play volleyball. That was all he _wanted_ to do.

So of course he’d been shocked when Aone had asked him out while they were at the park- properly this time, on an actual date, in concise and clear terms so there was no confusion. _Eh?_ Hinata had asked. _Me? Why?_ And Aone had just gazed back at him and said, _Because_.

 _I said yes to a proper date_ , Hinata typed to Kenma. _We’re meeting at a cafe next weekend!_

 _So you like him?_ Kenma quickly responded. _Good for you, I guess._

Good for him? _Was_ it good for him? And Hinata didn’t _know_ if he liked Aone; how did someone figure something like that out? All he knew was that his stomach had been a mess and his hands had been trembling ever since he’d gotten back from the park.

 _Is this the same person who came to Tokyo to watch us play in the semi-finals last year?_ Kenma asked, before Hinata could respond.

Hinata blinked. Oh! He’d forgotten all about that- Aone _had_ been there in Tokyo when Karasuno had played Nekoma. Hinata had been surprised when he’d looked up and seen him there in the stands, but he had some teammates with him, and Hinata just assumed that Date-Kou was gathering data for the next season. There were plenty of other teams watching the game as well, after all.

 _Yes,_ Hinata replied. _The really, really tall one! You remember him?_

_He spoke to you after the game. I remember._

…that’s right, Aone _did_ speak to him. He’d congratulated Hinata on a great game. How could he have forgotten that? It had been such an intense time. Hinata had never been so ecstatic, so wound-up, so happy and so _devastated_ in his entire life.

 _So he likes you,_ Kenma went on. _But you don’t have to date him if you don’t want to._

 _I already said yes,_ Hinata quickly replied, feeling an odd sensation in his stomach at the thought of cancelling his plans with Aone next week. No, that would be wrong.

 _Well, go on the date, and decide then if you like him,_ Kenma suggested.

Hinata’s pulse started to race and he suddenly felt very dizzy. _So what do I do on the date?? What will we talk about?_ he asked. And what if…what if Aone decided that he wasn’t actually interested in Hinata?

He quickly went through everything he’d ever read or seen about dating. Cafés, coffee, Christmas lights, holding hands, ice-cream, parks…that sort-of thing, right? And- and!

 _And what if he tries to kiss me?!_ Hinata typed in a panic, his whole face burning bright red.

 _So what if he does?_ Kenma replied. _It’s not like you’ve never kissed someone before. And is he the kind of person who’d kiss someone on the first date?_

 _I don’t know!_ Hinata said to that. _I don’t know anything about him!_ All Hinata knew was that he was very, very tall, very fast and agile despite his height, and an exceptionally talented blocker who didn’t rely on his height to get him through a game.

 _Well, this is your chance to get to know him. If you want to,_ Kenma said. _Don’t go if you don’t want to._

 _I think I want to,_ Hinata replied, realising as he typed just how much that was true. He’d never gone on a date before, and he wanted to try it out. _Okay. I’ll go on the date._

 _Good. I’m going to sleep now,_ Kenma said.

Hinata grinned and relaxed into his pillows, feeling all his tension melt away. Okay, he was going on a date with Aone, and everything was going to be alright! Wasn’t it? If Kenma said it was okay, then it should be fine.

 _‘night, Kenma! Thanks!!_ Hinata typed, and then he placed his phone back on the floor.

And as he slipped back under his sheets and drifted off to sleep, he wondered if he would ever have been bold enough to just ask someone out like that. _Is that the kind of person Aone-san is? He’s so brave._

***

Hinata’s mind started to wander as he ran through the streets during their Saturday-morning practice. He nodded to the others as they passed him, calling out a greeting without really seeing them. All week he’d managed to keep focused on school and volleyball- well, volleyball mostly, of course! He’d been able to pretty much forget what was happening on Saturday afternoon. But today? Well, forget it: his brain wasn’t letting him think about anything else.

The first time he’d encountered Aone had been at the Inter-High School Tournament last year. Hinata still remembered the overwhelming feeling of pride when someone so talented and powerful had acknowledged him- _him_ , Hinata Shoyo, a nobody in the volleyball world. But Aone had stayed at the net and shook hands with him, looked him in the eye, looked at him like an _equal_.

That tournament had been the start of _everything_ for Hinata. For the first time he got the sense that their crazy goal- to take the fallen crows to Tokyo- was possible. Of course, they’d lost the tournament when Seijou knocked them out, but it had given them the fire they’d needed to train for the Spring Tournament and to truly set their sights on Tokyo.

How strange to think that was all less than a year ago. And now that same boy from the other side of the net- who had been so determined to defeat Hinata at the tournament- wanted to _date_ him.

…or had Aone wanted to date him all along…?

Oh, no, Hinata couldn’t let himself think like that! He stopped dead in the middle of the street and jumped around anxiously, pulling at his hair. _No, no, of course he didn’t!!_ But just thinking about it coloured all those memories differently.

 _Cut it out, you stupid brain!!_ Hinata told himself harshly, to absolutely zero affect. No, his brain chose to replay all those memories instead: Aone greeting him in front of the bathroom that one time; watching Aone and his team play Seijou in the tournament last year; running into Aone at the gymnasium in Tokyo and being congratulated, even though they’d _lost_.

“Dumbass, what are you doing?!” came a voice; Hinata squealed and jumped, and found himself face-to-face with an irate Kageyama. “We’re all waiting to start practice you know! Get moving!!”

“Kageyama! Don’t sneak up on people!” Hinata retorted, shaking his fists. “I’m just taking a break, chill out already! I’ll be back to the gym before you anyway-” and at that Hinata took off running mid-sentence, causing Kageyama to yell out at him and start running behind.

They raced wildly back to the gym and burst through the doors breathless and panting, to the surprised faces of the first-years and the resigned looks of the rest of the team. But Ennoshita just smiled and started the practice.

 _Keep it together, Shoyo!_ Hinata ordered himself; he had to put all his energy and thought into this practice. He would think about this afternoon’s date _later_.

***

Their morning practice ran late. Of course it did- why hadn’t Hinata predicted that?! He’d thought he’d have plenty of time to go home and change before heading to the café, but when he’d looked at his watch after training, he found he had less than half an hour to get all the way into town.

 _I can’t be late, I can’t be late!_ Hinata repeated to himself over and over as he rushed off the train and out of the station, heading for the small out-of-the-way café Aone had suggested they meet at. _Shit, what if I’m late and he’s waiting?!_

Hinata ran around the corner and then stopped short, frozen in place by the sight of Aone walking up the other side of the path. _Ah!! He just got here!_ Hinata was so relieved that he forgot all his nerves and bounded right up the giant with a wide grin.

“Aone-san, thank god! I thought I was late!” he exclaimed, doubling over and panting hard. “Practice ran over-time and then the train- so I was running and running- but I made it!!”

Aone glanced at his watch. “Right on time,” he observed in that deep voice of his.

…and at the sound of his voice all of Hinata’s nerves came flooding right on back and he stiffened, standing up straight and biting back a squeak. “Ah- great!” he said, his own voice a little higher than he would have liked. “Let’s go in, then!”

 _It’s a date, I’m on a date, it’s happening, oh god_ , said a voice in the back of Hinata’s head, over and over again as the two of them entered the café. Hinata had been here before- he’d brought Kenma here when he’d visited- and it was somewhat relaxing to be back in familiar territory.

“Let’s sit over there,” Hinata suggested, pointing to a bright, sunny window.

Aone nodded and followed after him wordlessly, hands in his pockets.

It was only once they’d sat down that Hinata noticed: Aone was dressed in normal clothes, and Hinata was still in his gym gear. How embarrassing! “Ah, I just came from practice, so- I’m sorry, I didn’t even have time to change,” Hinata gushed as he looked down at himself, feeling his cheeks turn pink.

Aone nodded again, but didn’t say anything in response. _Maybe he doesn’t mind then,_ Hinata thought to himself as Aone wordlessly handed him a menu.

“Thanks!” Hinata said, taking the menu gratefully- a distraction! “What kind of drinks do you like? The hot chocolate here is really good, and one time I tried the coffee but it got me _really_ buzzed. The cakes in the cabinet look really good too, don’t they?”

Yes, Hinata realised he was babbling, but he just couldn’t help it- his words always blended together like this whenever he was nervous. Or excited, or scared, or anxious. Or…well, anything really! He bit his lip and deliberately looked over at Aone.

“I like tea,” the giant said simply. “…green.”

“Tea! That sounds good,” Hinata said, doing his best to smile naturally. He probably looked like a hyperactive child right now. He should order something grown-up like tea as well, but he really wanted a hot chocolate, so…

“But I will get a hot chocolate,” Aone went on, and Hinata blinked, surprised.

“Ah, okay!” he exclaimed. “And let’s get them with whipped cream as well,” he added, waving over a waitress and placing their order, making sure to ask for water as well.

“You had training today,” Aone said once the waitress had departed.

“Yep!” Hinata replied. “Every Saturday morning! And sometimes Sunday too. You guys have weekend training too, right?”

Aone simply nodded.

Well, of course they did; all elite clubs had to use every opportunity to train, especially at the beginning of the year. At least Aone had bothered to change his clothes before arriving at the café for their date. Hinata was so rude. And he-

-wait. _Our date. We’re on a **date**._ The butterflies in his stomach whipped up into a frenzy again and Hinata snatched at his water to hide his blush. He glanced over the top of his glass across the table and saw Aone gazing back at him, tranquil, attentive, relaxed. _Is it just **me** freaking out?!_

“S- so,” Hinata stammered, placing his glass back on the table. “Does your team have a whole bunch of first years as well?” he asked, not thinking of what else he could talk about. Karasuno’s troublesome newbies, who he’d just spend the whole morning with, were the first things to come into his mind.

“Yes,” Aone replied. “Many.”

Hinata nodded. “We had _lots_ , and Coach said it was way too many so he was really strict the first week- and then a whole bunch of them quit. Now we just have six, but it still feels like our team’s gotten so much bigger!”

Aone gazed steadily back, seeming to listen carefully to every word Hinata said. He took a sip of water and then spoke. “They are very energetic,” he said. “…your first years.”

“They are!” Hinata agreed. “How’d you- oh! Right, you saw them just the other week, stupid me! They’re so loud and jumpy and eager, but they’re also scared of Tsukki and Kageyama, can you believe it?”

Aone tilted his head. “The setter. And the…blocker?”

“Yep! Tsukki’s the one with glasses and Kageyama is the one with the face- you know the one, right? No wonder they’re scared of him! So when the first years get too crazy Enno-san lets them loose,” Hinata continued. “But it’s so annoying, we had such a nice team and now everything’s different!”

The giant across the table nodded. “Yes,” he said. He said it so simply, but the way he stared back at Hinata made him think that Aone really _did_ understand. And why wouldn’t he? He would have done this before. Twice in High School, and in Middle School as well.

But was all brand new for Hinata, and to be honest, it had him all stressed out. The team wasn’t gelling together at all. “Coach and Enno-san keep making all the first years play as much as possible,” he complained. “Even in the practice match we had! Remember? We kept _losing_ , because half the team was new!”

“It is very frustrating for you,” Aone said.

Hinata nodded vigorously. “But all the others just say, be a good sempai, Hinata, they have to learn…” He sighed and fell back against his chair. It was good of Aone to agree with him, unlike Tsukki and Kageyama- _especially_ Tsukki. At least he could get Kageyama to whine about the newbies sometimes.

…wait. They were still talking about volleyball? And about Hinata’s team? That’s not how it should go- shouldn’t they be talking about, like…well, Hinata didn’t know, but… _ahh, is this going really badly?!_

Luckily the waitress chose that moment to arrive with their drinks, and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Now they had something else to concentrate on. He really should try to relax, but he was just so tense- and he just didn’t understand why Aone was interested in him. Why Hinata?

He brooded into his hot chocolate after pouring three spoons of sugar into it. Hinata wasn’t good at anything but volleyball, and to be honest, his serves and receives still sucked compared to other people’s. And he-

“This is good,” Aone said from across the table, breaking Hinata out of his train of thought.

“Yes! It is, isn’t it?” Hinata readily said back. It was surprising; even today, the Iron Wall giant had barely said anything, but it was still more than everything else he’d ever said to Hinata combined.

“Your first-years will become part of the team,” Aone added, staring down at the table-top. “…eventually.”

“O- oh,” Hinata said, startled by the sudden and confident remark. A part of the team. They certainly weren’t a team at the moment, and Hinata really missed the feeling of comradery and friendship they’d all had last year. Well, ‘friendship’…maybe not with Tsukki. “Do you really think so?”

“…yes,” Aone replied.

“…thank you,” Hinata stammered. Aone seemed so sure. _He probably knows a lot about volleyball and building teams_ , Hinata thought to himself _. So much more than **me**_.

Hinata took another sip of his hot chocolate and pondered the current situation. To his great surprise, Aone seemed very easy to talk to- he didn’t even look bothered that it was Hinata who was doing most of the talking. But Hinata was still feeling nervous and on edge.

“Hey, um, Aone-san…I was just wondering,” Hinata began, biting his lip and placing his hands by his sides. “Why’d you ask me out? Um, I mean, I’m sure there’s lots of people who- and, you know, I just…well, I…”

He risked a glance across the table and flushed a deep red when he saw the way Aone was looking back at him. He quickly turned his eyes back to the table-top, forcing himself to take a breath- now was not the time to hyperventilate!

There was silence for a few moments before Aone spoke again, and every second had Hinata feeling more and more anxious. He shouldn’t have asked, but wasn’t it better to know?

“You are very dedicated,” Aone finally said. “Very committed.”

“Oh,” Hinata squeezed out, his throat going dry and scratchy. “Oh, thank you,” he said. Dedicated- to volleyball? There was nothing else. So he-

“…and I like your hair,” Aone added.

Well, _that_ did it! If Hinata had been blushing before, it was in full force now, his whole face and neck turning the colour of a tomato. His skin was _burning_! “My hair?” he squeaked, mortifyingly embarrassed. No-one had ever said that before!

“It is bright,” Aone went on. “Like you.”

Hinata was _dying_. He would have fallen onto the floor if he hadn’t been gripping the sides of his chair so hard. Bright. Committed. Dedicated. He didn’t know what to say.

“Here,” Aone said, and Hinata looked up to see him pulling something out of his pocket. Hinata blinked and leaned forward across the table. What had he been keeping in his pocket…?

…they were daisies. A little crumpled and bent, but Aone placed them on the table in front of Hinata, and the expression on his face changed. It became- wary.

“Ohh,” Hinata breathed. “For me?” He reached across the table for the flowers at the same time as Aone reached for the water, and their hands bumped in the middle.

Hinata froze. The touch sent a sudden jolt of- of _something_ \- right up his arm, a sudden _burning;_ and then it was gone.

 _What was **that**?!_ he asked himself, biting back a gasp. He snatched the flowers and drew them towards himself, desperately trying to bring the heat in his cheeks back under control.

“You- you got these for me?” Hinata gasped out, carefully setting the flowers in front of him.

Aone nodded, moving his own hands far away from the centre of the table.

“…thank you,” Hinata said, taking a breath and staring straight across the table into Aone’s eyes. “They’re lovely.” And for one brief moment all his nerves faded and his internal temperature returned to normal.

“You’re welcome,” Aone said back. “…would you like some cake?”

***

The rest of the date sped by, and then all of a sudden it was sunset and Hinata realised he had to go home. They’d been sitting in that café for _hours_ , drinking hot chocolate and tea and eating cake. Somehow, Hinata didn’t feel as childish or silly wolfing down strawberry shortcake when Aone was across the table eating the same thing.

Hinata had said goodbye with a bright smile- a genuine one, this time. As strange as it was to think about, spending the afternoon with Aone had been _nice_. They’d exchanged phone numbers and then parted ways.

When he got home Hinata carefully took the daisies out of his bag and laid them out on his desk, smoothing the petals gently. He should find a cup or vase to put them in. They were just picked from the side of the road probably, but Hinata felt oddly touched to have received them. Then he checked his phone, and found he had a message from Kenma.

 _How’d it go_ , it read.

Hinata sat down on his bed and stared down at his phone. Well now. How should he answer _that?_

***

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read, kudos'd, and commented on Chapter One!! I'm excited to share Chapter Two with you all. We have Aone's POV now!

Aone really enjoyed receiving texts from Hinata. Somehow, that bright personality of his came across even through just words on a screen. It had been two weeks since they had met at the café, and even though they hadn’t had time to meet up again in person, Hinata had texted him several times a day since then.

Most of the time the red-head was just letting him know what he was up to: _Kageyama tripped me while we were running and I fell into the bushes!!_ or, _I can’t believe we have an English test so soon! Yachi says she’ll help me <3_.

Aone was never quite sure how to respond to texts like these, but often Hinata made it easier. Today, for example: _Does YOUR coach make you skip training to study??_

When Hinata asked a direct question, Aone knew what to say and what was expected of him. _We have to stay away for a week if we fail a test,_ he replied. _It’s a punishment more than anything._

 _I don’t mind school. I like science. I’m not good at it though- how about you??_ Hinata texted back.

That one surprised Aone. Science was his favourite subject. He had to spend more time studying this year with entrance exams coming up soon, but he didn’t mind. _Science is my favourite. I take biology and chemistry,_ Aone wrote back to Hinata.

 _Really?? Wow that’s amazing!!_ Hinata wrote, and Aone could _hear_ the exclamation points in his head. He’d never met someone so exuberant and bright before. Hinata was as bright as the sun.

“Ah! Aone-sempai is smiling!” came a call from the gym, and all of a sudden the entire volleyball team stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

Aone glanced up and blinked, surprised. Had he actually forgotten that he was at training? He’d been staring at his phone so hard that he was now squinting.

“He _is_ smiling,” said the captain, coming right up to Aone to get a closer look, looking highly amused and entertained.

Aone shot them all a glare and slipped his phone into his bag, getting back up on his feet. That was negligent of him, letting his guard drop during training. He wouldn’t do that again.

There was some more fuss from the other players that Aone ignored, and soon their practice had resumed in earnest. This year was the third-year players’ last chance to go to the national tournament, and they were all determined to put every ounce of effort into their campaign. Every training session counted.

***

Aone knew that Hinata’s first priority was volleyball, as was his. On that day in the park when Aone had asked Hinata out- heart in his throat- that was the first thing he’d made clear. Aone wasn’t asking Hinata to compromise his time training in any way. Their teams had to come first.

Of course, Aone had been beyond shocked that the diminutive red-head had even agreed to a date in the first place. The only reason he’d asked the question was so that he could stop thinking about it. Hinata would say no, and then Aone could put it out of his mind once and for all.

Except that Hinata had said _yes_ , and their first date had gone...well. Much, much better than Aone had been expecting.

Neither of them had had time to meet up since then, but they’d been getting to know each other through their daily texts. Another big surprise, that Hinata would take the time to do that- that he’d be _interested_ in doing that.

Over the past two weeks, Aone had learned the names of every one of Hinata’s teammates, and had heard all about his daily activities. And Hinata seemed genuinely interested to learn more about _him_ \- or in any case, the questions kept coming.

Surely if Hinata wasn’t interested he would just stop texting, as Aone kept expecting him to. But in the meantime, he treasured every one of the texts and the little bit of sunshine that accompanied each of them.

***

After practice, Aone headed back to his apartment. He made dinner and prepared his lunch for the next day, and then settled down in front of the TV to eat. He found an international volleyball game to watch while he ate.

He’d been living alone for about a year now, and it suited him. Taking away his commute to and from school had given him a lot more time to study and rest. It was certainly more peaceful here without his sisters around. Cooking for himself hadn’t proved _too_ much of a hardship.

And if it was a little lonely sometimes…well, Aone was used to being alone.

Once he finished his meal he glanced down at his phone. No new texts…but maybe Aone could send one? He didn’t do that usually. Hinata always texted him first- not surprising, given just how _many_ Hinata sent in a day.

But what should he write…? Aone put some thought into it while he washed the dishes. When he returned to the TV he picked up his phone and typed. _There’s a game on TV tonight. Are you watching it?_

A response came back within minutes. _I’m watching it! That one blocker is even taller than you! He’s not as fast on his feet though._

Aone was pleased. Hinata had responded and he’d praised Aone’s skills- as for as he could tell. That was a compliment directed at him, right?

His phone beeped again. _I think this is the first time that you’ve texted me first!_ it read.

Aone felt his skin redden. Hinata was sharp and quick in everything, not just volleyball. He seemed to remember everything Aone told him, and replied instantly. It was…flattering. Despite the fact that they hadn’t had time for another date, Aone was inordinately pleased with how it was going. Just getting to talk with the energetic spiker was beyond what he’d ever hoped for.

They exchanged a few more texts and then the game on TV ended. Aone studied for his upcoming chemistry test and then went to bed. He was almost asleep when his phone beeped again.

 _You have to help me!_ the text read. _Mum says that Natsu’s being bullied at school and I had no idea!_

Aone frowned. Natsu was his younger sister. Younger than Aone’s sisters- she was only in elementary school, he recalled. She was being bullied? _That is sad to hear_ , Aone texted back cautiously. _How long has it been going on?_

_For weeks!! And they didn’t say anything to me about it! I’m the worst brother in the world, I feel AWFUL!_

Aone’s frown deepened. He knew something about feeling like that. His own parents had always structured things at home to optimise his training regime. No distractions, no drama. Culminating, in fact, with them renting this apartment for him around the corner from school.

He did miss his sisters at times, even though they’d always been a handful. If something was going on with them, he probably wouldn’t know about it now that he was living away, and that did bother him sometimes.

 _They don’t want you to worry_ , Aone wrote to Hinata. Obviously his family didn’t want to pull his attention away from volleyball. But he could feel the anguish in Hinata’s tone; he must be feeling horribly guilty for not noticing himself that something was wrong.

 _What should I do?? I’m her big brother, I’m supposed to do something, right? But I’ve never been bullied before!_ Hinata wrote.

Aone _had_ been bullied before, in elementary school. He’s always been the tallest in class- the tallest in the school, before too long. He drew everyone’s attention and with his quiet personality he was an easy target.

Hinata was asking for his advice, and he desperately wanted to say the right thing. To be honest, there wasn’t a whole lot that Hinata could do to stop the bullying. Natsu had to stand on her own two feet at school. But thinking back to his own childhood, he thought perhaps there might be something Hinata could do to help.

_There might not be much you can do, but you can still show Natsu that you care about her. How about treating her to a day out and spoiling her for a bit? Being happy at home will help her at school._

It was the longest text he’d sent, and he was very worried that he’d stepped over the line. Yes, Hinata had asked for his opinion, but Aone would never want to push in where he wasn’t wanted. He waited anxiously for the reply.

_Ohhh! That’s a great idea, I think she’d really like that. I don’t think we’ve ever done that! Where should I take her?_

Aone blinked. …where? He had no idea. He ran through everything he knew about little Natsu. It wasn’t all that much. But…she liked animals, didn’t she? Aone quickly opened a web page and did a search for places Hinata could take her. It took him several minutes, and he was worried about how long he was making Hinata wait. But finally he came up with a possibility.

 _The new Sendai aquarium just opened last month. It’s small, but Natsu might like it. It’s easy to get to. They have a café also,_ he wrote.

The response was almost instantaneous. _She’ll LOVE that! I’ll take her this Sunday. You’ll come too, right??_

That stopped him dead in his tracks. He wanted Aone to come with them? No, surely not. Wasn’t it much too early for that sort of thing? And to be honest, Aone didn’t make the best first impression, especially on children. Some were even frightened of him. That was awful, and he really didn’t want something similar to happen with Natsu.

 _Please?? It was your awesome idea, and it’ll be so much fun!_ Hinata went on, when Aone didn’t reply fast enough.

 _Okay,_ Aone reluctantly agreed. He couldn’t think of a proper, feasible reason to say no. _I don’t have training this Sunday._

_Great!!_

This could all go very badly. Aone would just have to hope for the best. He went back to the aquarium’s website to do a bit more research and planning before he went to sleep.

***

Sunday was wet and rainy; a good day to spend indoors. Aone took a bus to the aquarium and walked the rest of the way, with his umbrella firmly in hard. He waited by the entrance, and before too long a small car pulled up and a matching set of red-heads burst out and ran up to him.

“Aone-san! You’re here first!” Hinata exclaimed, flashing him a bright grin. “This is my sister Natsu! She’s so excited about today, aren’t you Natsu?”

“Wowwww,” Natsu said, gazing up at Aone with wide eyes- she barely reached his hip. “A giant, nii-san! So cool!!”

“A _friendly_ giant,” Hinata quickly told her. “And don’t be rude- he’s super nice, you’ll see!”

“You must be much better at volleyball than nii-san,” Natsu said with a cheeky grin, and Hinata squawked in indignation.

“Hinata-san is very good at volleyball,” Aone said gravely, drawing another grin from the little girl.

“Nii-san, he called you _Hinata-san_ ,” Natsu said with a laugh, seeming most amused.

“That’s enough out of you!” Hinata said, pressing down on her head. “Let’s go inside okay, Aone-san?”

He nodded and turned, leading the way. He’d already purchased their tickets, so they could go right on in. He paused at the entrance and took a colourful printed map from the wall, leaning down in front of Natsu to give it to her.

“Ohh,” she exclaimed, clutching the map in her tight little hands and holding it up to her face. “Look, nii-san! There’s jellyfish! We can see them first, right?”

“Sure, we can see anything you like,” Hinata informed her. “Right, Aone? Can we go and see the jellyfish?”

Aone nodded, then turned to examine the bigger map on the wall. The jellyfish weren’t too far away. He was secretly pleased with her choice. According to the reviews on the internet, the jellyfish display was one of the most impressive at the aquarium. He’d been looking forward to seeing it himself. He seemed to remember he’d quite liked jellyfish when he was a child.

He started walking and the red-headed siblings followed close behind, Natsu gripping her brother’s hand tightly, both of them gazing around bright-eyed at the tanks all around.

“Aone-san!” Natsu called out, “how many jellyfish are there? Lots? And then are there turtles? And crabs? Can we touch them?”

Aone smiled to himself. Natsu was more like her brother than just in looks- though they did look awfully similar, right down to the hair sticking out in more directions than you’d think was possible.

“Ehh? You want to touch them?” Hinata admonished, his voice high and surprised. “The crabs?! They’ll snap your fingers off, Natsu!”

“They _won’t_!” Natsu cried. “I’ll be nice and they’ll be nice back. Right, Aone-san? Right?”

He stopped walking; they had reached the jellyfish. “There is an exploration exhibit,” he said, pointing to the map in Natsu’s hands. “You can touch them. They won’t hurt you,” he added, turning to Hinata.

“We can touch them?!” Hinata exclaimed, jumping up and down. “That sounds awesome! I can’t wait!”

“Ah, jellyfish! Look, nii-san, jellyfish!” Natsu cried out, abandoning her brother’s hand and rushing forward to the tanks ahead of them. “Wahhh!!”

Hinata sighed and shook his head. “She’s so hyperactive, honestly! And she hasn’t stopped talking about this trip since I told her about it. You sure do come up with good ideas, Aone-san!”

He nodded, secretly most amused to hear Hinata’s complaints about his over-energetic younger sister. He was even more pleased that they both seemed genuinely excited about the aquarium. He was worried that Hinata was just being polite by agreeing to the trip.

“Is Natsu-san…okay?” he asked cautiously, hoping desperately that he wasn’t prying. The little girl seemed very sweet, and he’d been sad to hear she was having problems at school.

“She’s happy today, and ma says she’s been so excited about the aquarium that she hasn’t complained about going to school all week! But I think- ah, she’s calling us, hang on!” Hinata skipped off to Natsu’s side, chatting with the girl animatedly, their arms both waving in the air as they spoke.

Aone moved over to their side.

“It’s a bluebottle,” Hinata was reading from a placard. “From Australia. Poisonous, you know! You better hope it doesn’t escape from the tank!”

“It _won’t_ ,” Natsu said, rolling her eyes and giving her brother an exasperated look. “But they’re all the way up there! I wanna see them, nii-san!”

“Grow taller, then,” Hinata suggested. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“Lift me up, Aone-san, please?” Natsu begged, turning to Aone with pleading eyes. “Pretty please with cherries on top?” She held her arms up to him.

Aone was surprised. Not only did Natsu not seem scared of him, but she even seemed comfortable enough to be lifted? Hinata must have prepared her to be nice. Usually kids wanted nothing to do with him. “Is it okay?” Aone asked Hinata, feeling concerned.

“Oh, sure!” Hinata said back. “Tell her no if you want, though!”

“It’s alright,” Aone said to that, reaching down to pick the little girl up. He placed her on his shoulders, keeping a light but secure grip so that she wouldn’t fall.

Natsu squealed with delight, instantly leaning forward to place both hands on the tank in front of them. “I’m so tall!! I’m way, way taller than _you_ , nii-san, and look, I can see the bluebottoms!!”

“Blue _bottles_ ,” Hinata corrected, gazing up at his sister with shining eyes. “She looks so happy…” he murmured in a lower voice.

“Let’s see the turtles after this!” Natsu demanded, her wide grin rivalling her brother’s in brightness.

Aone nodded. Understood: turtles next. They were next to the exploration exhibit. And in an hour there would be a show on in the theatre that they could watch. Lunch after that, perhaps; a meal was included in their ticket. Yes, the day had gotten off to a good start.

***

Natsu and Hinata seemed to be having a great time, and Aone was as well. He’d forgotten just how interesting marine life was. And unlike when he was a child, he understood a lot more now thanks to what he’d learned in school.

The aquarium was well set up, and the exploration exhibit was a huge hit. The siblings even managed to convince Aone to join in, and they were both beside themselves with delight when two little turtles swam into his open palms. They looked so tiny next to his giant hands, and he gazed down at them in wonder.

Next they watched a show about dolphins, with Hinata and Natsu laughing brightly at the antics of the happy creatures. Staring over at Hinata’s smiling, sun-shiny face, Aone was very glad they were in a darkened room. He was sure he was blushing by now. Hinata was the most adorable person he had ever met.

After the show Natsu rushed off to the bathroom, with Hinata calling out behind her to be careful. Then he turned to Aone with a much more serious look on his face.

“Ma told me about it just this morning,” he said to Aone, standing up on his tip-toes and whispering conspiratorially. “Natsu just had one close friend at school and she moved away, see? And Natsu’s having a hard time making new ones. She’s so lonely, and the other kids tease her because of her hair!”

Aone felt a pang of sympathy. It was no easy task making friends- for some people, at least. And when you stood out, and people teased you…it made you vulnerable. “She seems…cheerful, though,” Aone commented. Hinata seemed the type to make friends wherever he went, and Natsu seemed so much like him.

“Oh, she is! Well, when she’d with us. She’s a bit shy when it’s just her. And her teachers just say she needs to try harder to make new friends. It makes me so mad!” Hinata growled, clenching his hands into fists.

The dark look on Hinata’s face now was just like when a match wasn’t going his way and he was frustrated. Aone understood his feeling of helplessness, of wanting to fix everything but not knowing how.

“It will get better,” Aone said, trying to sound sure and confident. “I believe.”

“I hope so…” Hinata said with a sigh. “Ah, she’s coming back.”

The little girl came skipping up to them, waving at them both brightly and gripping her map tight. “Is it lunchtime yet?” she asked them eagerly. “I found the café on the map, look, here it is!”

“Yes, let’s get lunch! Can you follow the map and lead the way?” Hinata asked, smiling back at her.

Natsu nodded, looking around her and then dashing off to the left. It was the wrong direction, but since the whole place was designed as a circle, Aone knew they would reach the café eventually. It was impossible to get lost so he didn’t say anything. Hinata gazed at a sign as they started moving and looked behind him, but Aone just gave him a look and shook his head, and Hinata grinned in understanding.

And of course they _did_ reach the café soon enough. Aone passed their tickets onto Natsu so that she could present them to the cashier in exchange for their meals. They all got a keychain with their food. Natsu chose a dolphin, Hinata got a turtle, and Aone chose a jellyfish.

“They’re so cute! Right, Aone-san? So cute!” Natsu exclaimed, lining the three toys up on the table and giggling as she ate her lunch.

Aone nodded. “…very cute,” he agreed.

“Hey, Aone-san, was your hair always that colour?” Natsu asked, staring over at him innocently.

Hinata chocked on his sandwich and made a squeaking sound. “Natsu, that’s so rude!” he scolded, taking the bottle of water Aone offered him and sculling it down with a cough.

“It’s fine,” Aone quickly said. “My hair is dyed,” he added to Natsu.

“…oh,” the little girl said, looking downcast at his answer. “So…no-one ever made fun of you for your hair? When you were a kid?”

Aone exchanged a quick glance with Hinata and then shook his head. “But…for my height. I was very tall.”

“Oh!” Natsu remarked. “That’s so mean! What did you do?!”

Aone thought about it. He wasn’t sure what the best answer was. In truth, he found it very difficult to make friends all throughout elementary school, even though eventually the bullies grew tired of picking on him when he didn’t respond. He’d spent much of his time alone, and he hadn’t minded.

“I joined a volleyball club,” Aone finally answered. “Outside of school. I made friends there.” And it was true; the other members of the team valued his height and made sure to befriend him. It had made his time at school easier to deal with.

“Ah, really?” Hinata asked. “So you’ve been playing since elementary school? That’s a good idea, though! That might be a way to make new friends, Natsu!”

“Does it have to be volleyball?” Natsu asked doubtfully. “Short people can’t play very well, you know…”

“ _Hey_!” Hinata exclaimed, looking highly insulted. “But no, it could be anything you like. There’s lots of clubs to choose from. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it first. You’re so smart, Aone-san!”

Aone felt his cheeks turn pink and he looked down at the table. Thank goodness; Hinata didn’t think it was an awful suggestion. He pulled his lunch tray closer and started to eat his meal as a distraction. Hinata was smiling at him so brightly that he was a little embarrassed.

“I like swimming!” Natsu announced happily, her downcast expression having melted away. “Can I join a swimming club, nii-san?”

“Sure, and then you can swim with dolphins one day like in the movie,” Hinata suggested. “Ah! Can we go and see the sharks after lunch? I wanna see what kinds there are! Wait until I tell Tsukki tomorrow…”

The lunch proceeded without incident. After a while Aone felt himself relaxing after his blood-pressure had shot up thanks to Natsu’s question. But it seemed to go okay, and the little girl was back in a cheerful mood.

After lunch they headed off to the shark tanks as per Hinata’s request, and then quickly toured the other displays before visiting the exploration exhibit one more time.

“It’s been such a good day!” Natsu said to them, shrieking when she reached out and touched a starfish. “Thank you, Aone-san!” she added, beaming up at him.

Aone was truly touched. “…you’re welcome,” he said, suddenly feeling very shy. He took a deep breath, and turned his attention back to the tank. He noticed Hinata smiling at him and instantly he tensed up again.

It _had_ been a good day, and Aone was so relieved. He’d had such a nice time with Hinata and his sister. And if he’d managed to help at all, he would be so happy.

He didn’t know what would happen between him and Hinata in the future. Aone had no expectations, and was just trying to enjoy each day. Gathering up the courage to ask Hinata out had almost broken him. But even if they never spent any time together after this, it would have all been worth it.

***


End file.
